Luciel and Jan exchanged glances when they heard the healer mention the word 'pregnant' and Leland's face immediately looked gentle.
All his rage disappeared without a trace. This made them think that it must be such a wonderful thing. Luciel actually wanted to ask 'what is pregnant?' but the maid who had previously come with the healer and had been given a look by Leland, immediately took Luciel and Jan out.
The maid invited the two children to go to their room because it was time for bed. After everyone left, Leland got into bed and kissed Sophie lovingly on the forehead. Right now, he was feeling very, very happy.
Sophie was carrying their child. So, that's why she passed out. It was not merely caused by the sight of her first husband.
Earlier, Leland was frightened out of his mind that Sophie would leave him for Nicholas and take their two kids, but somehow, right now, he felt as if he wasn't worthless or replaceable.
Even though it was wrong to hold Sophie hostage because of them having a child together, just maybe, she wouldn't choose to leave him now that she was carrying his child?
It was a fear that he only acknowledged now as he was alone with Sophie.
***
Now the night was getting late. Several stars twinkled in the sky, and the silver moonlight illuminated the land below.
Luciel and Jan were worried about their mother's condition and couldn't sleep. They decided to sneak out and vent their anxiety by turning into wolves and howling at the moon. The two managed to sneak past the lycan guards that patrolled the halls of the manor and soon went out.
"Let's go!" Luciel said to Jan as soon as they stepped out of the small entrance in the right side of the manor. Then they started running freely in their wolf forms.
It's always good to do this thing, running around at night to spend their energy so they could sleep better, especially now that they were feeling anxious and worried.
"Hey…! Who is that?" As the boys were crossing the field outside the manor, Luciel suddenly halted his movement. He nudged Jan. His brother looked up and saw a big grey wolf was sleeping on the field in front of them.
It was Nicholas in his wolf form, sleeping from exhaustion. After he left the royal palace, he was fighting the pain in his head by running around the field and finally became so tired.
"It's a stranger!" Jan sniffed the air with his nose. "He is not one of us."
"Do you think he is an enemy?"
"Maybe," Jan said. He looked at Luciel seriously. "We should notify the guards."
"Let's see who he is first," Luciel stepped forward. He nudged the sleeping lycan with his nose. "Hey…!! Who are you?"
Luciel and Jan surrounded the lycan and nudged him. Since they had never seen the grey lycan and never smelled his scent in the group they raised their guard up.
This lycan might as well be an enemy. They had to take precautions. When Nicholas opened his eyes, he saw two small lycans were in a fighting stance and baring their teeth at him.
"Hey!" Nicholas was startled when he saw them and immediately got on his feet. He furrowed his brows when he realized his voice didn't make a human sound, but a wolf's growl.
The king, who was no longer feeling dizzy, was surprised and confused when he found himself in the form of a lycan.
ROAARR!!
What the fuck was going on? Nicholas was so upset when he looked down and saw his body was not human. He looked up and saw two little lycans looking at him with hostile expressions.
Somehow, he knew they were not just regular wolf pups.
They were lycan children.
He froze.
Meanwhile, Luciel jumped back when Nicholas growled so loudly. He immediately thought the lycan before them was trying to attack.
Now, this was the confirmation they needed that this lycan was truly the enemy. So, he motioned Jan to attack Nicholas.
ROARR!!
AUUUU!!
The boys were so in sync with each other, they could almost know what the other was thinking. When Luciel moved, Jan immediately followed. Luciel attacked Nicholas from the left side while Jan took his right side.
Nicholas was moved from his daze when he saw the two-pronged attack. He moved back and dodged them skillfully.
This was all too confusing, but he was glad that his body reflex was great, he could move really fast. His body also felt so light when he moved.
But… why was he a lycan? What was going on??
Luciel's and Jan's breath panted. After the failed first attempt at charging the 'enemy', they immediately got ready for another attack. However, before they could move forward, Nicholas had run away from them.
The king was still confused about his state of being a lycan, but then he decided to run and leave the place because he didn't want to fight the two little lycans.
Luciel and Jan looked at each other, surprised by what happened.
"We should report this to the guards." Luciel decided.
"I told you," Jan said. The boys immediately turned around and went back to the manor to report what they saw.
***
Nicholas was running so quickly into the night. His shadow flashed and almost merged with the darkness. A few minutes later, he jumped into a magnificent building through a window on the second floor.
Fortunately, Nicholas' memory worked quickly and he realized that the meadow was adjacent to the royal villa.
He slipped in, darted through the halls, and turned until he finally arrived at his room.
Inside the room, he turned back into his human form and was surprised to find himself not wearing a single thread.
As he still looked at his naked body, he was shocked again. But this time, the thing that surprised him had nothing to do with him. He was surprised when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.
He quickly opened the closet, took clothes, and put them on in a hurry. The door creaked when he opened the door and found Noel and some of his subordinates standing behind the door.
.
.
_______________________
From Missrealitybites:
I would like to make a clarification since a reader wrote in a comment that Leland is bad for tricking Sophie into thinking that Nicholas was dead so she would marry him.
Leland NEVER told Sophie that her husband is dead. They never talked about Nicholas at all.
Leland made his conclusion from seeing the wolfsbane pot in the forest, and Sophie made her own conclusion when she heard from the townspeople that Baron Ferdinand and his 'nephew' were dead.
Leland and Sophie avoided the topic because it was a sensitive matter to them. Leland made Sophie marry him by pretending that he needed a wife in name for his reputation.
So, I am not sure where some people get the idea that he tricked her into marrying him by telling her that her husband is dead. He never did such a thing.
Lastly, Leland hasn't done anything at all to cover up that Nic is still alive. When Sophie passed out after she saw Nicholas in the palace, Leland's suspicion that the king and her first husband are the same person was confirmed. He realized SOPHIE KNEW Nicholas was still alive, at the same time that he found out.
Now, this is finally the time for Leland and Sophie to have that conversation. How do you think they would handle this matter?
PS: I already said that this story is a reverse harem and Sophie will end up with both. So, if you like Leland, she will be with Leland, and if you are Team Nicholas, she will be with Nicholas too. We all win.
This story will have a happy ending. I don't plan to kill one husband to let the other one have Sophie completely. So, please always keep that in mind.
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